GT New Writer Award

January 4, 2010

For the past 10 years, Gourmet Traveller Wine, in conjunction with the Wine Communicators of Australia, have held a competition to find the finest new wine writer in the land.

For the past 2 years, I have vainly attempted to win. Twice now I have failed. This year, my third tilt, will be the last time I am eligible (more to come on that) so I really want to win, if purely to fulfil the mythical 3rd time lucky philosophy.

The challenge of course is coming up with a good angle. Just like last years entry, I am quite fond of the hidden joys of the maligned and I think I’m heading towards it again this year. But every year I come up with a whole list of ideas, and each year I dismiss them all as too broad/not unique enough, or realise that I’m simply not clever/knowledgeable enough to write about them. Such is the peril of the wannabe wine writer…..

So, wish me luck then, and hopefully come February 12th I’ll be announcing my New Writer Award win on this very site (note the very positive tone).

But, in the meantime, have a squizz at my 2009 entry here which, rereading, was unsurprisingly a non winner…

Wine, wine writing

Andrew Graham was once voted the 23rd most trusted wine critic on the planet. A WCA Journalism Young Gun now old hack with 25yrs as a buyer, judge, journalist, marketer and too much more.

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11 responses to “GT New Writer Award”

Anonymous

January 4, 2010 at 8:00 am

Oh gawd. Pick your audience….or your judges. Try not to put any personality into it either…that will help 🙂
GW

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Jesse Lewis

January 4, 2010 at 9:55 am

Really good article Andrew. Interesting topic too, and you covered it well

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Philip White

January 4, 2010 at 5:18 pm

You write for your readers, Andrew, and bugger the awards. You win an award in this tight-arsed dried up chip of a country, and you know you're cactus. These people have no brains. They're already cactus: who ARE they, to be handing out awards? What have THEY written?

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Andrew Graham

January 5, 2010 at 2:18 am

Thanks Philip and Mr Walsh for the very sage advice and thanks Jesse for the praise!

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Anonymous

January 5, 2010 at 3:49 am

Don't listen to the grumpy old men. Didn't Campbell get a red ribbon?

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Chris Plummer

January 5, 2010 at 8:01 am

Go Andrew go!

I wish you the luck of an Australian in a Winter Olympic speed skating contest….

😉

(not that you'll need it!)

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Anonymous

January 7, 2010 at 5:32 am

Interesting post by Philip about your Guru in the WCA Andrew – "These people have no brains. They are already cactus. Who are they to be handing out awards." Going along with that are you?

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Karra Yerta Wines

January 7, 2010 at 1:31 pm

Good luck Andrew!!

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Andrew Graham

January 8, 2010 at 12:46 am

Thanks Marie & Chris, as to Anonymous, I was agreeing with Philip's advice to 'write for your readers, Andrew, and bugger the awards' which I think is an excellent sentiment.

Cheeky!

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Steve Shipley

December 31, 2012 at 11:10 pm

Interesting. I am going to enter this year for first time, but expect with the level of competition, I will not win, but would not enter if I did not feel I had a chance. I recognize your challenges as they are similar – almost identical – to mine. I write a regular wine blog, but without limiting it to 1,000 words or without putting in the effort I am putting in for this competition. It is more a self-test for me and opportunity to see if I can raise the hurdle on my writing about wine.

Keep well, I will check out your blog and mine is "SAZ in the Cellar" at

http://sazinthecellar.blogspot.com.au/

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1. ozwinereview
  
  January 2, 2013 at 9:40 am
  
  Good luck Steve, I am ineligible these days and the closest I got was 2nd in 2010. If I have any advice it is to write something entertaining and avoid excessive personal stories.
  
  Best of luck!
  
  Reply